The OET assesses a healthcare professional’s communication skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking, all in a medical context. While tens of thousands of candidates try their hardest to pass this test, the OET is no walk in the park: serious test-takers require serious preparation. This article highlights five reasons why the OET is uniquely challenging, and how the PREP-it for OET app can help you overcome those challenges.
The OET is designed to evaluate healthcare professionals' ability to communicate in English in a medical context, which means that the test includes a lot of medical terminology and jargon. It is common for healthcare professionals to use complex medical terms in their daily practice, but they may not have learned these terms in English. To prepare for the OET, healthcare professionals need to learn medical terminology and jargon in English, which can be time-consuming and difficult.
The Skill Building section of the PREP-it for OET app has dozens of activities which help test takers understand the best way of using vocabulary and language structures in the exam. Through completion of these tasks, learners will better understand key competencies, such as how to communicate appropriately in the role plays and the best way to structure a letter of referral, discharge or transfer.
2) Lack of Time
Healthcare professionals often have busy schedules and little free time to prepare for the OET. They may be working long hours, caring for patients, and studying for other exams or certifications. To prepare for the OET, they need to set aside dedicated study time, which can be challenging given their already busy schedules.
3) Unfamiliar with the Test Format
4) Limited Access to Good Quality Study Materials
Unlike other language proficiency tests, there isn’t the same abundance of good quality study materials available for the OET. This has changed quite a bit in recent years, and as far as they go some of the published books and online/in-person courses are pretty good. Nevertheless, it is more difficult for a healthcare professional to prepare for the OET than if they’d opted for one of the other “big three” English Language examinations.
Fortunately, PREP-it for OET has a Community Page where you can register your interest in finding someone to practise the speaking subtest with. For those candidates who have struggled to find a study buddy to do role plays with, this is heaven-sent! And if you need material, the app provides you with two unique role plays for each of the Practice Tests (so a total of eight for Medicine and eight for Nursing) for both the candidate and interlocutor.
Download PREP-it for OET in the Apple or Google Play store today.
1) Knowing How to Use Medical Terminology and Jargon Appropriately
The OET is designed to evaluate healthcare professionals' ability to communicate in English in a medical context, which means that the test includes a lot of medical terminology and jargon. It is common for healthcare professionals to use complex medical terms in their daily practice, but they may not have learned these terms in English. To prepare for the OET, healthcare professionals need to learn medical terminology and jargon in English, which can be time-consuming and difficult.
The Skill Building section of the PREP-it for OET app has dozens of activities which help test takers understand the best way of using vocabulary and language structures in the exam. Through completion of these tasks, learners will better understand key competencies, such as how to communicate appropriately in the role plays and the best way to structure a letter of referral, discharge or transfer.
2) Lack of Time
Healthcare professionals often have busy schedules and little free time to prepare for the OET. They may be working long hours, caring for patients, and studying for other exams or certifications. To prepare for the OET, they need to set aside dedicated study time, which can be challenging given their already busy schedules.
The mere fact that PREP-it can be downloaded to your smartphone goes a long way towards overcoming the time poverty many OET candidates face. Whether you’re on your sofa or on the bus - as long as you have 2 or 3 minutes to spare - you can get some meaningful preparation done.
3) Unfamiliar with the Test Format
The saying goes that “familiarity breeds contempt”. That may be correct when talking about one’s spouse or co-workers, but it couldn’t be further from the truth when applied to a high-stakes English language exam. The OET is different from other, more ‘conventional’, English proficiency tests (such as TOEFL, PTE or IELTS), and is especially true of the speaking and writing subtests.
The team at PREP-it for OET are experts in the test and have spent countless hours working out the best way of replicating all four subtests to give you a clear idea of what to expect on the day of your exam. The app offers you detailed Test Guides which break down the tests into minute detail, and when you submit your speaking and writing tasks to the platform, we’ll share model answers with you to compare against.
4) Limited Access to Good Quality Study Materials
Unlike other language proficiency tests, there isn’t the same abundance of good quality study materials available for the OET. This has changed quite a bit in recent years, and as far as they go some of the published books and online/in-person courses are pretty good. Nevertheless, it is more difficult for a healthcare professional to prepare for the OET than if they’d opted for one of the other “big three” English Language examinations.
PREP-it for OET offers users access to a convenient one-stop-shop for all their OET needs. Once the app’s been downloaded and your account upgraded, you’ll have 60 hours of top-class content at your fingertips. Four practice tests, dozens of skill building activities, plus the Test Guides and access to the Community Page (see below!).
5) The Unusual Challenge of the OET Speaking Roleplays
Unlike the more familiar format of the speaking section in conventional English language exams, the OET subtest includes two, five-minute, professional-specific role plays. These can be nerve-wracking, even for those candidates who have experience speaking in English in a medical context. The OET speaking subtest has been designed so that test takers demonstrate their ability to take part in a dialogue with a patient a familiar setting. If you're studying on your own, the question is, how can you train to do the roleplay properly?
Fortunately, PREP-it for OET has a Community Page where you can register your interest in finding someone to practise the speaking subtest with. For those candidates who have struggled to find a study buddy to do role plays with, this is heaven-sent! And if you need material, the app provides you with two unique role plays for each of the Practice Tests (so a total of eight for Medicine and eight for Nursing) for both the candidate and interlocutor.
Download PREP-it for OET in the Apple or Google Play store today.
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